Anjon Audhya, PhD

Research Interests

Our laboratory is committed to understanding the fundamental mechanisms by which membrane proteins, lipids, and other macromolecules are transported throughout eukaryotic cells. To do so, we take advantage of numerous interdisciplinary approaches, including pharmacology, biochemistry, structural biology, biophysics, genetics, molecular biology and high-resolution fluorescence and electron microscopy.

Additionally, we use a variety of experimental systems, ranging from animal models (e.g. Caenorhabditis elegans and rodents) to human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We also aim to recapitulate individual steps of membrane transport in vitro, using recombinant proteins and chemically defined lipids. Our ultimate goal is to identify the regulatory pathways that control membrane deformation, which enable vesicle formation in the endosomal and secretory systems. Although basic research is the cornerstone of our program, we also seek to define pathomechanisms that underlie human disease, focusing on the impact of mutations in key trafficking components that lead to cancer, neurodegeneration, asthma, and diabetes. For more information, please visit our lab webpage: www.audhyalab.org.

Honors & Awards

• RIDE Scholar Award (2020)
• Tom Wahlig Foundation Advanced Scholarship (2018)
• H. I. Romnes Faculty Fellowship (2017)
• Vilas Faculty Early Career Investigator Award (2016)
• Vilas Associate Award (2015)
• March of Dimes Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Award, (2010)
• American Heart Association SDG Award, (2010)
• Shaw Scientist Award (2010)
• DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics (2006)

Selected Publications:

(Find further publications on PubMed)

• Quinney, K., Frankel, E.B., Shankar, R., Kasberg, W., Luong, P., and Audhya, A. (2019) Growth factor stimulation promotes multivesicular endosome biogenesis by prolonging recruitment of the late-acting ESCRT machinery. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 116: 6858-686.
• Slosarek, E.L.*, Schuh, A.L.*, Pustova, I.*, Johnson, A., Bird, J., Johnson, M., Frankel, E.B., Bhattacharya, N., Hanna, M.G., Burke, J.E., Ruhl, D.A., Quinney, K., Block, S., Peotter, J.L., Chapman, E.R., Sheets, M.D., Butcher, S.E., Stagg, S.M., and Audhya, A. (2018) Pathogenic TFG mutations underlying hereditary spastic paraplegia impair secretory protein trafficking and axon fasciculation. Cell Rep. In press. (* denotes equal contribution)
• Frankel, E.B., Shankar, R., Moresco, J.J., Yates, J.R., Volkmann, N., and Audhya, A. (2017) Ist1 regulates ESCRT-III assembly and function during multivesicular endosome biogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. Nat. Commun. 8: 1439.
• Hanna, M.G., Block, S., Frankel, E.B., Hou, F., Johnson, A., Yuan, L., Knight, G., Moresco, J.J., Yates, J.R., Ashton, R., Schekman, R., Tong, Y., and Audhya, A. (2017) TFG facilitates outer coat disassembly on COPII transport carriers to promote tethering and fusion with ER-Golgi intermediate compartments. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 114: E7707-E7716.